FOR RELEASE CONTACT
3/25/2014 Press office
(609) 847-3500

(TRENTON) -- Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Bergen/Hudson) and Assembly members Annette Quijano and Joseph Cryan (both D-Union), whose district includes Port Elizabeth, issued a multimedia package Tuesday voicing their support for hiring reforms at the ports of Newark and Elizabeth that would help fill nearly 500 vacant positions at the region's ports.

In addition to voicing their support of reforms being pushed by a coalition of business, labor unions and other state lawmakers, the trio also urged the New York State Legislature to vote on legislation that would help to resolve much of the jobs backlog; New Jersey lawmakers passed the required legislation in September 2007. Ports Newark and Elizabeth fall under the jurisdiction of the bi-state Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and, as such, any legislative changes to the agency's operation must be approved by legislatures in both states.

The multimedia package consists of commentary on the port-hiring issue from Speaker Prieto, Assemblywoman Quijano and Assemblyman Cryan and audio of same.